


Umbra's New Groove

by 8Cyborg



Category: Warframe
Genre: F/M, Nervous, Rejection, Talking to women is hard, getting a girlfriend
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2020-06-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:47:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24705580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/8Cyborg/pseuds/8Cyborg
Summary: Umbra decides that it's time to find himself a girl.
Relationships: Excalibur Umbra/Garuda
Comments: 7
Kudos: 12





	Umbra's New Groove

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to TheWriterValkyrie for the title, and the idea this story is based on.

He wasn’t sure when it started. Maybe it stemmed from watching Oberon and Ivara, wishing he wasn’t alone. Maybe he grew lonely over time, so slowly that no one saw it coming. Whatever the cause, Umbra was lonely. It had hit him like a sledgehammer one day, just walking though the relay, waving hello to the familiar faces. He noticed Oberon and Ivara sitting together, just talking. Her hand resting on his knee, laughing, his arm around her shoulders, telling a joke. Umbra looked away, embarrassed, like it was a private scene, like he shouldn’t have been watching. He found himself wishing he had someone that he could just be with, talk with,someone he could love.

It didn’t take long for him to start looking around, scoping out the possibilities. He considered many, then dismissed them. There was only one. He sat for long hours in his orbiter, thinking about what he would say to her, what he would do. The irony was not lost on him: this big, tough warframe brought to his knees out of fear of asking someone out. He chuckled, a half bitter feeling emanating from the sound. “How could I ever hope to do this,” he wondered. “I can’t just go up to her and ask her. Can I?”

Umbra decided that he needed help with the matter. The only person he could talk to about it was Valkyr, he decided. She had been with Loki for some time now, and he could trust her to keep her mouth shut. A short message later, Valkyr invited Umbra to her orbiter, so they could talk about it in private. 

“So, before we get too far ahead, who is this warframe that has managed to tie your tongue in knots?” Umbra squirmed, uneasy. After a pause, he finally managed to get her name out of his mouth. “Garuda,” whispered Umbra. Another pause. “I’ve wanted to speak with her for a while now, but I don’t know what to say,” he finished. Valkyr, laughing, proclaimed, “This is the first time I’ve seen you nervous about anything!” Umbra glared at her, and she subsided, but a smile remained. “All kidding aside, has it occurred to you that she might feel the same way? Maybe she feels like you, as well, are unapproachable.” At this, Umbra shook his head. “How could she feel that way?” he frowned. “We have never been on a mission together, and have only said about 6 words to each other between the two of us.”

Valkyr giggled, delighted. “Maybe you need some practice?” she suggested. “I’m willing to act the part, if you want to do the asking.” Umbra took a deep breath, and nodded. “Its probably best,” he said, suddenly nervous. What should he do? What should he say?

As time passed with Valkyr, Umbra grew more confident in what should be said and done. Armed with her advice, though he still felt nervous, he travelled to the relay. Spotting her across the way, he took a deep breath, noting that she was alone. Then he took a couple more. He found his hands were sweating, and his knees were turning weaker by the second. “I won’t be able to this if I wait any longer,” he thought to himself. “So here goes.”

Umbra started walking toward her, trying to appear normal. She turned, seeing him approaching. At her gaze, his knees almost buckled, but he managed to avoid any noticeable stumble. Then she spoke. “Hello Umbra, how can I help you today?” This came as a surprise to Umbra, who was expecting to say the first line. He took a deep breath. “Garuda,” he said, giving a small bow. “The summer festival in Cetus is coming up in a couple of weeks, and I was wondering if you would do me the pleasure of accompanying me?” 

His heart fell at her next words. “I’m sorry, Umbra, but I won’t be going. Maybe you could ask Ember? I heard she was looking for someone to go with.” Umbra managed to keep his composure, mentioning something about asking her. Then, excusing himself, went straight back to his orbiter.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The day’s work had ended, and Garuda was headed back to her orbiter. She hadn’t been able to get Umbra out of her mind, even though she had initially turned him down. She felt bad about the way his head had fallen, and wanted to make it up to him somehow. It’s not like she didn’t like him, but she had never seen him as a potential partner. And being that she almost always ventured out alone, she didn’t really need one. And yet…  
She resolved to find out more about Umbra, and started asking around. She found Excalibur to be a goldmine of information, and in return she told him her plans, but swore him to utter secrecy after. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Umbra was sitting at his navigation console trying to decide what to do. He was lonely, very lonely, and though Valkyr had tried to comfort him, no words would bring comfort. The reason for this was simple: Garuda had told him no. That was the long and short of it. He didn’t want to do anything, opting for sitting in his orbiter feeling down on himself. How had he let himself get so infatuated with a female, he thought, silently berating himself. He had vowed to never ask anyone on a date again, and to simply focus on his work. He found himself wishing he had never asked Garuda, because then he wouldn’t be feeling so bad about himself. This line of thought went on for hours.

At some point, he must have dozed off, because he woke to the beep of a new message. Not wanting to look, he dismissed it, and closed his eyes again. Then he heard another beep, and couldn’t avoid it any longer. 

Looking at the name of the sender, his heart lifts, his mind racing. It was from Garuda! The messages were labeled “ONE” and “TWO”. Opening “ONE”, he read: “Come to Larunda Relay in one hour. Read message number two when you arrive.”

Arriving at the relay, Umbra noted that there was nobody around. This was a first, as relays are always busy places. The second strange thing he noted, was that he could hear singing in the distance. Remembering the second message, he opened it. It read, simply, “Gardens.” 

When he entered the gardens, he saw her. Garuda was sitting next to Octavia on a bench. Seeing him, Octavia stood up and walked away, still singing. Steeling himself, he walked towards the bench. Garuda patted the spot next to her, and he sat down. What would she say?

After a short, uncomfortable silence, Umbra finally took the bait. 

“Why did you call me here? You declined me when I asked you before.”

She turned to look at him. “I turned you away because I knew nothing about you, Umbra. I realize that I could have done it better, but that’s all it was.” Looking down, she continued. “I… started asking people about you, and you seem like… a guy that… a lady could be proud to be with.” She raised her head, looking at Umbra. “I would be glad to attend the festival with you, if you still want to go with me, that is.” 

At these words, Umbra was shocked. He had convinced himself that she disliked him, and could not have pictured this scene happening in his mind. He realized that she was still looking at him, and he hadn’t given her a response.

“I…” He stopped. Why did talking with women have to be so hard? “I… I will gladly go with you, Garuda.” He couldn’t seem to be able to say any more. Luckily, he didn’t have to. Embracing him, she said, “Thank you. I didn’t want you to feel like I didn’t care. I had just never been asked before. You are the first one to ask me on a date, you know that?”

Umbra smiled at this, exclaiming, “Well, it worked out pretty well, didn’t it?” Pausing, he decided to be honest with her. “You know, you are the first person that I have ever asked on a date?” Garuda giggled, “I could tell, you were as nervous as anyone I’ve ever seen.” After this exchange, a comfortable quiet settled between them. After a while of this, Umbra put his arm around her, and she nuzzled into him. They stayed like that for some time.


End file.
